Council’s vote against secondary suite reform was a vote for more illegal suites

Posted by Calgarians for Secondary Suites0sc on July 01, 2015

On Monday, June 29 Calgary City Council voted against a bylaw change that would have made it much less burdensome and onerous for homeowners to build safe, regulated secondary suites in the mostly inner-city wards of 7, 8, 9 and 11.

Council’s June 29 vote against secondary suite reform will:

Result in more illegal suites being built due to flawed City process

The current system for secondary suites is at fault for the estimated 16,000 illegal suites that exist in Calgary today. This number will continue to grow until an improved process for approving safe, legal suites is implemented.

Do nothing to address Calgary’s soaring rental rates

Between April 2014 and April 2015, Calgary’s rental rates increased 5.9% to an average of $1,319 per month, despite the slowing economy. The current system for secondary suites will continue to act as an impediment to addressing the rental housing shortfall. The resulting expensive rental market will further hinder our local economy.

Cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars

A December report found individual secondary suite applications have consumed more of Council’s meeting time than any other issue. Meanwhile, an increase in extended Council meetings have been costing taxpayers $10,000 per meeting in overtime pay for administration.

This Council is not doing its job

Even though the majority of Councillors agree that the current system for approving secondary suites is broken, only a minority of them are working to find a real solution. For this reason, the status quo will persist until a majority of Councillors commit to fixing the problem or after Calgarians choose a capable new Council in the 2017 municipal election.

The need for more secondary suites will not go away

More housing is needed now in order for Calgary’s economy to thrive and to compete with other cities for world-class talent. Secondary suites are a safe and practical solution for the housing crisis in Calgary. Calgarians for Secondary Suites will continue to work to increase the availability of legal secondary suites in Calgary. Sign our Suite YYC Petition to stay informed and stay tuned for updates.